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A Triathlon Great Announces Surprise Retirement

Ryf retires, better sleep and recovery with one supplement, and running well for life

Author

Matthew Sharpe
August 20, 2024

TOGETHER WITH THE FEED

Good morning everyone,

I had a great weekend in Boston meeting my new niece and cheering my wife on at the first round of the supertri League.

The racing was dynamic and the athletes’ efforts were insane. I also couldn’t help but enjoy the drama between recent Olympic medalists, and rivals Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde.

Triathlon doesn’t usually have a ton of inter-athlete drama. So Boston’s finish line fracas between the two triathlon heavyweights adds a compelling storyline to next weekend’s bout in Chicago. I know I’ll be watching!

In today’s edition:

  • 🦖 Want better recovery, deeper sleep, and next-level dreams? Then this supplement might be for you!

  • 👏 A triathlon icon drops surprise retirement announcement.

  • 🏃 And how to run well in every decade of your life!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

Headshot of Matt Sharpe

Have a triathlete in your life who can't stop swimming, biking, or running? Fire this off to them. Forwarded from a friend? Sign-up for free.

TEMPO REVIEWS

Tempo Reviews: PILLAR Performance Triple Magnesium Professional Recovery

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Matt’s review

I’ve actually been “reviewing” Pillar’s Triple Magnesium for over a year, and I can confidently say that it will meaningfully improve your sleep quality and help you recover faster from quality training. 

  • And if you want to take your dreams to the next level, it’ll do that too!

Magnesium is an essential mineral that we get through diet and supplementation. A magnesium deficit can seriously impact energy production, muscle function, and bone health.

  • After a high-stress day of training, magnesium significantly promotes relaxation by naturally lowering cortisol.

  • It also helps you achieve deeper sleep by increasing your body’s natural melatonin production.

The problem with most magnesium supplements? They use magnesium oxide which isn’t well-absorbed by your body.

  • PILLAR contains magnesium chelate and two other highly bioavailable forms of magnesium - providing maximum recovery and results!

I love using PILLAR, but at its price point it’s not an everyday supplement for me. However, after every hard training day, I’ll always down an ice-cold glass of the triple berry flavor as it guarantees a night of restorative and high-quality sleep. 

I’m not an LSD person, so I can’t compare experiences. But myself, and other athletes I’ve spoken to can confirm that PILLAR’s mag-fueled dreams are on another level!

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FAVORITES

🏃 Run well for life: Sadly, none of us are getting any younger. But with a few key interventions, we can all smash the effects of aging. Like when you’re in your 50’s, warming up is more important than ever before! This guide has tips for every decade of your life. [Runners World]

🌬️ Calf sleeves for me? Calf sleeves are the latest mark of aerodynamically obsessed triathletes. But are the aerodynamic savings calf sleeves bring worth the cost of looking goofy? In short, yes. [Triathlete]

⏰ Time-starved solutions: Are you a time-starved athlete looking for a better way to train effectively and nail race day? On August 23 at 12 PM EST this free webinar from world champion coach Matt Dixon will teach you how to optimize your training and supporting habits like fueling and recovery. All to get you the best return on your time and effort! [Purple Patch]

🌊 Open water anxiety: A bad swim in a race can be tough to recover psychologically recover from. If you’re trying to bounce back for your next open water experience, this Reddit thread has some solutions! [Reddit]

ONE BIG THING

10x IRONMAN World Champion Daniela Ryf Announces Surprise Retirement

IRONMAN

What is it: On Monday, triathlete Daniela Ryf announced her retirement from professional racing. Her announcement bookends a storied career as one of, if not the greatest, triathletes of all time.

Injury issues: In an Instagram post, Ryf explained that an injury in her coccyx was not healing as well as hoped, and prevented her from training the volume and intensity needed to return to the top level of racing.

G.O.A.T talk: From short-course standout to the Queen of Kona, Ryf finishes her career with one of the most impressive resumes in the sport;

  • 2008 U23 World Champion.

  • 2008/2012 Olympian.

  • 5x IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion.

  • 5x IRONMAN World Champion.

  • 45 professional wins.

Watch: Ryf breaks the tape for a record fifth IRONMAN World Championship. 

Final signoff: In her retirement post, Ryf admits that letting go of the goals she set for herself has been difficult but “the right thing to do for [her] long-term health.” She confirmed that she will be in attendance at the upcoming women’s IRONMAN World Championships in Nice, France.

REEL TIME

Plenty of time to get into race shape! 😆

RACE WEEKEND

Supertri Boston

It was a fast and furious opening weekend of the 2024 Supertri League that saw the athletes battle over the grueling Enduro race format of back-to-back-to-back supersprint triathlons.

  • Jeanne Lehair (Podium Racing) took a surprise women’s win, and Alex Yee (Brownlee Racing) backed up his recent Olympic gold medal performance.

Women’s race: From the gun it was clear Boston’s Carson Beach was going to be the scene of absolute carnage as the opening stage saw only five athletes including Lehair, Georgia Taylor-Brown (Crown Racing, and Kate Waugh (Crown Racing) remaining in the lead group.

  • Recent Olympic gold medalist Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) and bronze medalist Beth Potter (GBR) both found themselves in foreign territory - out of contention for the podium.

As the race continued only Lehair, Taylor-Brown, Waugh, and Taylor Spivey (Stars and Stripes Racing) were left standing as they hit the final run.

Watch: Jeanne Lehair uses the short chute to take the decisive lead. 

  • In the final meters, Lehair pulled away from the pack to take a massive victory and the Supertri Series lead.

Watch: Lehair breaks the tape in Boston. 

  • 🥇 Jeanne Lehair

  • 🥈 Georgia Taylor-Brown

  • 🥉 Kate Waugh

Men’s race: After the opening stage of the men’s race it was still an incredibly tight race with over 12 athletes including Alex Yee (Brownlee Racing), Hayden Wilde (Crown Racing) and Vincent Luis (Crown Racing) hitting the beach for the second round of swim/bike/run.

  • Out of the water on the second stage, there was a distinct pack featuring with Yee, Wilde, Luis, as well as Dorien Coninx (Podium Racing) and Tim Hellwig (Stars and Stripes Racing).

  • But further damage occurred on the second run as only the five mentioned above managed to start the final stage together.

It was all to play as the fab five dismounted together for the final run. And after an uncharacteristically shocking transition from Yee, it looked like we might see a new face on top of the supertri podium.

But nothing could stop Yee, and as he did in Paris he dusted Wilde in the final meters, broke the tape with a controversial celebration.

  • 🥇 Alex Yee

  • 🥈 Hayden Wilde

  • 🥉 Dorien Coninx

Team standings: Projected to be the series winners, Crown Racing has taken their spot on top of the leaderboard, but only by one point!

  • 🥇 Crown Racing - 82

  • 🥈 Podium Racing - 81

  • 🥉 Brownlee Racing - 73

  • 🍫 Stars and Stripes Racing - 46

IRONMAN Frankfurt European Championships

After a full year dedicated to retaining his Olympic gold in Paris, Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) admitted that he wasn’t prepared for the full IRONMAN in Frankfurt.

  • But after finishing with the course record, and running a 2:32:42 marathon, it seems like he kind of was!

After navigating a crash-filled bike that took down many of the top athletes, Blummenfelt found himself in prime position to take the win. Even a mid-race stop in the porta-potty and some gastro issues didn’t stop him from taking the title and earning himself a place on the start line in Kona.

  • 🥇 Alex Yee

  • 🥈 Hayden Wilde

  • 🥉 Dorien Coninx

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